Herein, reference values in brackets ([ ]) refer to the references listed below, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein, in their entirety.
Falls among the elderly are a major public health concern. Research on falls and fall-related behavior among the elderly has found the following [5-11]:
1. Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among individuals who are over 65 years of age.
2. By 2030, the population of individuals who are 65 years of age or older will double. By 2050, the population of individuals who are 85 years of age or older will quadruple.
3. In 2000, falls among elderly individuals accounted for 10,200 deaths and 1.6 million emergency department visits.
4. Sixty percent of fall-related deaths occur among individuals who are 75 years of age or older. Twenty-five percent of elderly persons who sustain a hip fracture die within one year.
5. Hospital admissions for hip fractures among the elderly have increased from 231,000 admissions in 1988 to 332,000 in 1999. The number of hip fractures is expected to exceed 500,000 by 2040.
6 Annually, more than 64,000 individuals who are over 65 years of age sustain a traumatic brain injury as a result of a fall.
7 Annually, 40,000 individuals who are over 65 years of age visit emergency departments with traumatic brain injuries suffered as a result of a fall, of which 16,000 of these individual are hospitalized and 4,000 of these individuals die.
8. The rate of fall-induced traumatic brain injuries for individuals who are 80 years of age or older increased by 60 percent from 1989 to 1998.
9. The estimated total cost for non-fatal traumatic brain injury-related hospitalizations for falls in individuals who are 65 years of age or older is more than $3.25 billion. Two-thirds of these costs occurred among individual who were 75 years of age or older.
10. The costs to the Medicare and Medicaid programs and society as a whole from falls by elderly persons continue to climb much faster than inflation and population growth. Direct costs alone will exceed $3.2 billion in 2020.